Psalm Meditation 478
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 16, 2009

Psalm 17
1 Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
2 From you let my vindication come; let your eyes see the right.
3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress.
4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Rise up, O LORD, confront them, overthrow them! By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,
14 from mortals--by your hand, O LORD-- from mortals whose portion in life is in this world. May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
(NRSV)

One definition of love is to seek the best for someone. Using that definition the psalmist’s enemies are loved. Since they live as if this world is the best life has to offer may they have the best of this world. Sometimes, perhaps even often we do not take the time to learn anything about those who stand against us. We content ourselves with dehumanizing and demonizing them so that we do not have to understand them or even pretend to understand them. The psalmist knows that this particular adversary seeks creature comforts at the expense of the psalmist’s people. If that is what they want may they find comfort in those things while we find comfort in God.

At the same time the psalmist seeks out a relationship with God as a source of refuge from the attacks of adversaries. As is the case with most of us, the psalmist sees no justification for the attacks and seeks to rise above the fray with claims to personal purity and fidelity to the ways of God. We do have a tendency to see ourselves as victims when we are attacked and as justified when we do the attacking, so the psalmist is in good company there. The important part is that the psalmist leans toward a relationship with God as a source of refuge rather than feeling abandoned by God because of the attacks.

We do well to stand with the psalmist in these things. We do well to love our enemies and adversaries which means we do well to learn what drives them so that we can help them by seeking the best for them even if it is not the direction we would go ourselves. We do well to keep ourselves in a relationship with God when times are good and when times are bad. A relationship with God will be a gift to us whether we live or die. In the end it is all about God.

© August 10, 2009